


Love And Loss

by WhyJudge



Category: Rot & Ruin
Genre: Death, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fighting, So much death, Sword Fighting, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 07:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2260281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyJudge/pseuds/WhyJudge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom wasn't perfect.<br/>Benny was a baby.<br/>It all changed when they met Nova.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love And Loss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ilia Parish](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Ilia+Parish).



“Fiona! Get back!” Tom yelled, pushing her into the master bedroom. Benny, at only 18 months old, screamed and cried in his mother’s arms, reaching out for Tom. The monster reached its arms out to him, moaning eerily. Tom kicked at its knee caps, knocking it to the floor. He slammed the door behind him and pulled the desk in front of it. Tom wiped sweat from his eyes and turned to face his mother, holding her baby to her chest.

“We’re safe, for now at least. With the door blocked, we can just wait for the army to-”

“Tom.” She whispered, tears flooding to her green eyes. Tom’s brow furrowed as she handed Benny to him. She rolled up her sleeves, showing him two deep bites. Blood flowed from the open wounds, staining the sleeves of her beautiful white sundress red. Tom shook his head in horror, hugging Benny tightly.

“No, no, don’t tell me you… You didn’t…” Tom trailed off, hearing the pounding of his father’s fists against the thin wooden door. Screams sounded outside the house, most covered by the sound of constant gunfire. The army.

“Tom, take Benny and run. Get out of here!” A fist came through the door, followed by a ghastly moan.

“Fio-”

“Tom Imura, you protect Benny with your life. Get out of here, I’ll be fine! Just go!” She ushered him to the window, throwing it open. Outside was a battle zone. People ran the streets, running from the slow moving dead stumbling behind, moaning with hunger. Blood littered the ground, bodies lying nearby. Zombies fed on them, making Tom nauseous. Helicopters whirred overhead, ladders dropping down into the crowds. The living scrambled up them, the dead reaching and pawing at their ankles. The army shot down into the crowds, not caring whether they hit the living or the dead.

Fiona pushed him, the crashing of his father breaking through the door drowning out most of her words. He took off running, but turned around long enough to see white hands dragging Fiona back into the room she tried desperately to climb out of. She screamed two words as she was dragged backwards, causing Tom to run faster.

“SAVE HIM!”

Tom ran with all his might, dodging zombies and people running from them. He ran down his street, running towards somewhere he thought that, at least, he could find something to fight off these demons with.

A dojo.

Tom had been attending Mixed Martial Arts classes since he was 13 years old. After six years, he was the fastest and best fighter in the whole dojo. His sensei had offered the dojo to him, seeing as Tom could easily teach anyone martial arts. Tom declined the offer, but still attended weekly classes to keep his skill up.

'Now,' he thought, 'I’ll never get to go another class.'

Tom arrived in front of the dojo, not surprised to see the front windows shattered. He pushed open the door and walked inside, his tennis shoes crunching on the glass shards.  
Benny let out a little whine and Tom shushed him, rocking the child back and forth. Tom stepped around the front desk and wandered down the long hallway for what he knew was the last time. He pushed open the last door on the right and stepped inside; setting Benny on the couch he knew was by the door. He had been in this room so many times; he could navigate it in the dark.

Tom walked to the wall and took the steel katana from the hooks. He felt for the sheath and also took it, slinging it onto his back. He swung the katana, listening to the swish of the air around it. He sheathed the sword and walked back over to Benny, who had recently begun crying. He lifted the baby and held him to his chest, stroking his head. Benny sniffled and whimpered, grabbing Tom’s hair. Tom rubbed his back and closed his eyes.

“It’s okay Benny. I’ve got you.” Tom said, placing a kiss on Benny’s forehead. The room was silent, save for the guns constantly shooting outside the window. Benny whined at the sound, hiding his face in Tom’s neck. Tom opened his mouth, but quickly closed it when he heard a scream.

From the front of the building.

“Isis! Isis, no, please!” A girl screamed in horror. Tom weighed his options. He could either leave Benny and go help the girl, or he could pretend he didn’t hear anything and keep his brother safe.

“Someone, anyone please, help me!” The girl screamed again. Tom sighed and laid Benny down again, unsheathing his sword and stepping out into the hallway. A girl scooted backwards through the broken glass. She watched as a zombie girl towered over her, reaching down to grab her. The zombie was wearing a torn pink t-shirt, jean shorts and white Vans. She had long black hair, but chunks were missing.

“Isis! Don’t! Please!” The girl begged. Tom flashed forward and knocked the zombie to the ground, her head crashing backwards onto a vase. It shattered underneath her head, causing her to fall limp. Tom hesitated, and then plunged his sword into her neck, finishing her off. He stood and turned to the girl on the ground, staring into her green eyes. She looked at him in fear as he sheathed his sword and stepped from the zombie, letting the girl scramble over to it.

“Isis! Oh my god, why you?” She cried, holding the girl to her chest. She sobbed onto its shoulder, her sobs echoing off the walls. Tom poked her with his foot, sighing.

“Hey, if you keep that up, we’ll have a whole army of them here.” He told her. Her sobs turned to whimpers, then the whimpers turned to sniffles. She laid her friend down and closed her eyes. The girl then stood and turned to Tom, her eyes hardening. 

“You killed her.” She accused.

“You were calling for help! What was I supposed to do?!” He yelled back. She shoved him, her green eyes blazing.

“You weren’t supposed to murder my best friend! That was my sister!”

“That thing was a monster.” Tom growled. The girl gasped and slapped him, her whole body shaking with rage. She opened her mouth to yell, but was cut off by Benny crying. Her eyes flicked to the sound. Before Tom could blink, she took off down the hallway. Tom was close on her heels. She popped her head into the room and saw Benny lying on the couch, his chubby arms reaching for something, someone.

The girl walked into the room and picked up Benny, rocking him back and forth as she hummed. Benny cooed and grabbed her hair. She smiled and continued humming, ignoring Tom in the doorway. Tom finally got a glance at her, and he saw her completely.

She had long, light brown hair which reached past her shoulders. Her eyes were a light, almost mint green. Her left nostril had a silver ring within it. She was wearing black Converse, jeans, a white tank top and a black zip up jacket. Stained her jacket, making the zipper and hood strings turn red.

“He’s cute.” She commented. Tom looked back to her face to see her staring. He looked back down to Benny and nodded.

“Yep.” He said, walking over to her. He held his arms out and Benny reached for him, cooing and little out a little giggle.

“Tom!” He said, giggling. Tom smiled and nodded, taking Benny from the girl. She smiled as well and shook her head. She then winced.

“Are you oka-” He looked at Benny’s blanket. On it was fresh blood. Tom held Benny to his chest and glared at the girl.

“What did you do to him?” Tom demanded. She held up her hands and winced again. He then saw the source of the blood. On her hands were multiple cuts, some deep and some very light.

“I’m not bit. I just, cut up my hands out front.” She explained. Tom nodded and set Benny down once more. He took off his flannel shirt and tore it, holding one empty hand out. 

The girl set one of hers in his and he wrapped it. He worked in silence, tying off both hands quickly.

“There. Be more careful okay Miss…” Tom gritted his teeth when he realized he hadn’t asked for her name. She chuckled and smiled at him.

“Nova. Nova Madden.” She told him, holding out her hand. She then realized and blushed, pulling her hand back. Tom smiled and took her hand gently, kissing the back of it.

“Nice to meet you Nova Madden, I’m Tom Imura.” He greeted her. She nodded and looked to Benny.

“And that’s your son?” She asked. Tom shook his head, picking Benny back up.

“No, this is my little brother, Benjamin Imura.” He corrected her, rocking Benny back and forth. She nodded, looking around the room.

“Where are we?” She asked him, staring around the room. It was a large room with mats lining the back wall and floors. There were couches and chairs along the front wall of the room. The katana Tom had taken was on the left wall and underneath it were more weapons. Tom smiled at the memories he had in that room.

“This is a training room.” He said. Nova nodded and stood, walking to the door.

“Wait, where are you going?” He asked her. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Home.”

Screams and glass shattering sounded from outside the dojo. Gun shots and the sound of roaring flames followed. The flames flickered outside the windows and people screamed again, begging for mercy.

“PLEASE! PLEASE, DON’T KILL ME! I’M ALIVE! I’M ALIVE!” A woman screamed, flames roaring again. She screamed and then begged again, then fell silent.

“You’re going back out there?” Tom asked. The girl looked to the door, then back to Tom. She sank back down on the floor next to him, sighing.

“That’s a bad idea, isn’t it?” She wondered. Tom nodded and bumped her shoulder with his.

“Hey, I’m sorry about your friend.” He apologized. Benny rolled himself around on the floor and whimpered up at Tom. Tom leaned down and unwrapped his blanket, letting the baby move himself.

“She was my sister.” Nova whispered, watching Benny as he crawled around on the linoleum floor. Tom looked at her, but she kept her eyes on Benny. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched him babble and crawl. She had a far off look in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around her knees.

“Isis was my sister. I-I can’t believe that she just…” She stammered, putting her head in her knees. Tom put an arm around her shoulders and she turned and buried her face in his t-shirt. He wrapped both arms around her and let her cry. Benny wandered up and rested his head on Tom’s leg. Tom patted his head and held Nova, listening to the war outside.

The war that would become the rest of this world.


End file.
